Spreading Leadership Skills to Kansas Communities

Shelley Hansel grew up in Wellington, KS, graduated from Wellington High School and went on to earn a Journalism Degree from the University of Kansas. She spent more than 20 years in television news and radio broadcasting.

Shelley moved back to her hometown to become the Executive Director of the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB, a position she held for more than 12 years until deciding to run for Mayor. In May 2015, Shelley was sworn into office as the first female to be elected mayor of Wellington. Her term will last until January 2020. Shelley also serves as the current chairperson for the Regional Economic Area Partnership. (REAP)

In 2013, Shelley, along with several other community leaders launched the Sumner County Leadership Initiative community leadership program. The program, with the help of the Kansas Leadership Center, continues today and is now under the direction of the Sumner County Economic Development Commission.

Shelley was a member of the Leadership Kansas Class of 2013 and a graduate of the U.S. Chamber’s 2014 Institute for Organization Management.

She is an active member of the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Wellington and has three children, Carson, 18, Elise, 15, and Vohn, 8.